Community Survey 2007 - IPUMS Subset
South Africa, 2007
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Reference ID
ZAF_2007_PHC_v01_M_v7.5_A_IPUMS
Producer(s)
Statistics South Africa, IPUMS
Metadata
Created on
Dec 23, 2014
Last modified
Sep 03, 2025
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- Data files
- ZAF2007_PHC-H-H
- ZAF2007_PHC-P-H
Employment status (official definition) (ZA2007A_EMPSTATO)
Data file: ZAF2007_PHC-P-H
Overview
Type:
Discrete
Start:
419
End:
419
Width:
1
Range:
-
Format:
Numeric
Questions and instructions
Literal question
<svar v="ZA07A444 ZA07A445 ZA07A446 ZA07A447 ZA07A448 ZA07A449 ZA07A450 ZA07A451 ZA07A452 ZA07A453 ZA07A454 ZA07A455 ZA07A456 ZA07A457 ZA07A458 ZA07A459 ZA07A460 ZA07A568 ZA07A569"><span class="h2">Section E: Employment and economic activities - ask of all persons 15 years and older listed on the flap</span><br />[Questions P-30 to P-39 were asked of persons age 15 and older.]<br /></svar></p>
<p>P-30 <span class="em">Employment status</span></p>
<p><svar a="ZA07A451" v="ZA07A451 ZA07A568 ZA07A569">P-31 Temporary absence from work<br />Even though (the person) did not do any of these activities in the last seven days, does he/she have a job, business, or other economic or farming activity that he/she will definitely return to?<br /><div class="i1">[Question P-31 was asked of persons who were not working in the last seven days, per questions P-30a to P-30g.]<br />For agricultural activities, the off season in agriculture is not a temporary absence.<br />If 1 "Yes" Go to P-36.<br />[] 1 Yes<br />[] 2 No<br />[] 3 Do not know</div><br /></svar></p>
<p><svar a="ZA07A452" v="ZA07A452 ZA07A568 ZA07A569">P-32 Reasons for not working<br />Why did (the person) not work during the past seven days?<br /><div class="i1">[Question P-32 was asked of persons who were not working in the last seven days, per questions P-30a to P-30g.]<br />[] 01 Has found a job, but is only starting at a definite date in the future<br />[] 02 Scholar/student and prefers not to work<br />[] 03 Housewife/homemaker and prefers not to work<br />[] 04 Retired and prefers not to seek formal work<br />[] 05 Invalid, ill, disabled or unable to work (handicapped)<br />[] 06 Too young or too old to work<br />[] 07 Seasonal worker, e.g. fruit picker, wool-shearer<br />[] 08 Lack of skills or qualifications for available jobs<br />[] 09 Cannot find work<br />[] 10 Cannot find suitable work (salary, location of work or conditions not satisfactory)<br />[] 11 Contract worker, e.g. mine worker resting according to contract<br />[] 12 Retrenched<br />[] 13 Other reason<br />Write code in the box.<br />_ _</div><br /></svar></p>
<p><svar a="ZA07A453" v="ZA07A453 ZA07A568 ZA07A569">P-33 Availability for work<br />If a suitable job is offered, how soon can (the person) start work?<br /><div class="i1">[Question P-33 was asked of persons who were not working in the last seven days, per questions P-30a to P-30g.]<br />[] 1 Within a week<br />[] 2 Within two weeks<br />[] 3 Within four weeks<br />[] 4 More than four weeks from now<br />[] 5 Not interested<br />[] 6 Not able (health or disability)<br />[] 7 Do not know<br />Write code in the box.<br />_</div><br /></svar></p>
<p><svar a="ZA07A454" v="ZA07A454 ZA07A568">P-34 Active steps seeking work<br />During the past four weeks, has (the person) taken any action to look for any kind of work?<br /><div class="i1">[Question P-34 was asked of persons who were not working in the last seven days, per questions P-30a to P-30g.]<br />Mark appropriate box with an X.<br />[] 1 Yes<br />[] 2 No<br />[] 3 Do not know</div><br /></svar></p>
<p><svar a="ZA07A455" v="ZA07A455 ZA07A568">P-35 Active steps seeking work<br />During the past four weeks, has (the person) taken any action to start any kind of business?<br /><div class="i1">[Question P-35 was asked of persons who were not working in the last seven days, per questions P-30a to P-30g.]<br />If P-34 and P-35 completed Go to P-40<br />Mark appropriate box with an X.<br />[] 1 Yes<br />[] 2 No<br />[] 3 Do not know</div><br /></svar>
<p>P-30 <span class="em">Employment status</span></p>
<p><svar a="ZA07A451" v="ZA07A451 ZA07A568 ZA07A569">P-31 Temporary absence from work<br />Even though (the person) did not do any of these activities in the last seven days, does he/she have a job, business, or other economic or farming activity that he/she will definitely return to?<br /><div class="i1">[Question P-31 was asked of persons who were not working in the last seven days, per questions P-30a to P-30g.]<br />For agricultural activities, the off season in agriculture is not a temporary absence.<br />If 1 "Yes" Go to P-36.<br />[] 1 Yes<br />[] 2 No<br />[] 3 Do not know</div><br /></svar></p>
<p><svar a="ZA07A452" v="ZA07A452 ZA07A568 ZA07A569">P-32 Reasons for not working<br />Why did (the person) not work during the past seven days?<br /><div class="i1">[Question P-32 was asked of persons who were not working in the last seven days, per questions P-30a to P-30g.]<br />[] 01 Has found a job, but is only starting at a definite date in the future<br />[] 02 Scholar/student and prefers not to work<br />[] 03 Housewife/homemaker and prefers not to work<br />[] 04 Retired and prefers not to seek formal work<br />[] 05 Invalid, ill, disabled or unable to work (handicapped)<br />[] 06 Too young or too old to work<br />[] 07 Seasonal worker, e.g. fruit picker, wool-shearer<br />[] 08 Lack of skills or qualifications for available jobs<br />[] 09 Cannot find work<br />[] 10 Cannot find suitable work (salary, location of work or conditions not satisfactory)<br />[] 11 Contract worker, e.g. mine worker resting according to contract<br />[] 12 Retrenched<br />[] 13 Other reason<br />Write code in the box.<br />_ _</div><br /></svar></p>
<p><svar a="ZA07A453" v="ZA07A453 ZA07A568 ZA07A569">P-33 Availability for work<br />If a suitable job is offered, how soon can (the person) start work?<br /><div class="i1">[Question P-33 was asked of persons who were not working in the last seven days, per questions P-30a to P-30g.]<br />[] 1 Within a week<br />[] 2 Within two weeks<br />[] 3 Within four weeks<br />[] 4 More than four weeks from now<br />[] 5 Not interested<br />[] 6 Not able (health or disability)<br />[] 7 Do not know<br />Write code in the box.<br />_</div><br /></svar></p>
<p><svar a="ZA07A454" v="ZA07A454 ZA07A568">P-34 Active steps seeking work<br />During the past four weeks, has (the person) taken any action to look for any kind of work?<br /><div class="i1">[Question P-34 was asked of persons who were not working in the last seven days, per questions P-30a to P-30g.]<br />Mark appropriate box with an X.<br />[] 1 Yes<br />[] 2 No<br />[] 3 Do not know</div><br /></svar></p>
<p><svar a="ZA07A455" v="ZA07A455 ZA07A568">P-35 Active steps seeking work<br />During the past four weeks, has (the person) taken any action to start any kind of business?<br /><div class="i1">[Question P-35 was asked of persons who were not working in the last seven days, per questions P-30a to P-30g.]<br />If P-34 and P-35 completed Go to P-40<br />Mark appropriate box with an X.<br />[] 1 Yes<br />[] 2 No<br />[] 3 Do not know</div><br /></svar>
Categories
| Value | Category |
|---|---|
| 1 | Employed |
| 2 | Unemployed |
| 3 | Not economically active |
| 8 | Unknown (not working, reason unknown) |
| 9 | NIU (not in universe) |
Warning: these figures indicate the number of cases found in the data file. They cannot be interpreted as summary statistics of the population of interest.
Description
Definition
This variable indicates the person's employment status according to the official definition.
Employed persons are those who reported having engaged in any of the work activities listed on the census (questions P30a-g) for at least one hour during the 7 days prior to the census interview or who reported being temporarily out of work but having a job to which they would return. The variable listing reason for not working (WKWHYNOT) distinguishes, in part, among unemployed people and those who were not economically active. People who reported their status as student, housewife/homemaker, retired, ill/invalid/disabled, or too young/too old to work in their reason for not working (categories 2 through 6 of WKWHYNOT) are "not economically active." People who had found a job which would start at a definite date in the future (category 1 of WKWHYNOT) are "unemployed." People who listed other reasons for not working (categories 7 through 13 of WKWHYNOT) were divided into unemployed or not economically active based on a combination of additional criteria from WKAVAIL, WKLOOK and WKBUSNEW. If this group was available for work within 1-2 weeks and also either looking for work or taking action to start a business, they considered unemployed. Otherwise, they were classified as not economically active. (In contrast, the variable for the expanded definition of employment status, EMPSTATEXP, relies only on the WKAVAIL criteria of being available for work within two weeks to classify as unemployed.)
People who did not report a reason for not working are in the Unknown category (=8).
Employed persons are those who reported having engaged in any of the work activities listed on the census (questions P30a-g) for at least one hour during the 7 days prior to the census interview or who reported being temporarily out of work but having a job to which they would return. The variable listing reason for not working (WKWHYNOT) distinguishes, in part, among unemployed people and those who were not economically active. People who reported their status as student, housewife/homemaker, retired, ill/invalid/disabled, or too young/too old to work in their reason for not working (categories 2 through 6 of WKWHYNOT) are "not economically active." People who had found a job which would start at a definite date in the future (category 1 of WKWHYNOT) are "unemployed." People who listed other reasons for not working (categories 7 through 13 of WKWHYNOT) were divided into unemployed or not economically active based on a combination of additional criteria from WKAVAIL, WKLOOK and WKBUSNEW. If this group was available for work within 1-2 weeks and also either looking for work or taking action to start a business, they considered unemployed. Otherwise, they were classified as not economically active. (In contrast, the variable for the expanded definition of employment status, EMPSTATEXP, relies only on the WKAVAIL criteria of being available for work within two weeks to classify as unemployed.)
People who did not report a reason for not working are in the Unknown category (=8).
Universe
South Africa 2007: Persons age 15 to 65 who do not live in institutions [discrepancies: none]
concept
Concept